Corrugated bin and dispenser container



1964 G. J. MISCHEL ETAL CORRUGATED BIN AND DISPENSER CONTAINER Filed May 4, 1962 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent 3,153,504 CORRUGATED BIN AND DISPENSER CONTAHIER Gordon J. Mischel, Mcnomonee Falls, and Gordon C. Kousek, Racine, Wis; said Mischel assignor to Waldorf Paper Products Company, Ramsey County, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota, and said Kousek assignor to J. I. Case Company, Racine, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed May 4, 1962, Ser. No. 192,494 4 Claims. (Ci. 229-17) The invention relates to an improvement in corrugated bin and dispenser container and deals particularly'with a container which is useful in the storage and handling of various repair parts and which may be used as a dispenser.

It is necessary for most manufacturers to maintain a large supply of parts on hand, both for manufacturing and for repair purposes. Many such companies maintain a stock room or storehouse in which such parts are kept, oftentimes in metal drawers or bins from which the product may be removed. Considerable difficulty is often experienced in maintaining such stock rooms so that a proper supply of all of the parts is always available. The parts are usually purchased in amounts which usually are determined by the rate of use of such parts, and are normally received in cartons or shipping cases from which the parts may be transferred to the bins. In many cases, this requires that a considerable number of the parts be maintained in shipping cases as well as in the bins as it is often impractical to receive such parts in suiiiciently small quantities so that all of the product can be immediately transferred to the bins thus it has been recognized that there would be considerable advantage in maintaining the products in their shipping containers until the products are used. This arrangement would eliminate the labor required in transferring the product from the shipping cases to the bins, but the arrangement also has the disadvantage that difiiculty is experienced in maintaining any uniformity due to the variation in the shipping containers in which the goods are received. It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and effective shipping container which may be produced on available equipment, and which may be manufactured at a cost which need not appreciably exceed the cost of regular style containers of a certain size. In preferred form, these containers are formed with a taped manufacturers joint which may also be formed on regularly available equipment. Furthermore, the containers may be closed and sealed on regular equipment, as the flaps which close opposite ends of the container may, if desired, fold in a regular sequence and be secured in the usual way. The only difference which might occur in the present case is that in some instances at least one of the closing flaps on one of the side walls is not adhered to the larger closing flaps.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a structurewhich may be taped together in the usual manner and which may be opened up into dispensing position by merely slitting the tape at the manu- ,facturers joint or otherwise slitting the carton at this point. When this is done, one of the side walls of the carton may be folded down into angular relation with the other walls and may serve as a lip for supporting the goods which were contained within the carton. It is an important feature of the present invention to provide a.

device of the type in question which may be used as a shipping case for a predetermined product, and which may bear the proper indicia to indicate the name of the When the product is to be dispensed, it is only necessary to slit the manufacturers joint and to pull forwardly a side wall of the container, whereupon the contents are readily accessible.

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These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification;

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the container in closed position.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the forward end of the container in open or dispensing position.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the container is formed.

The corrugated bin and dispenser container A is formed of'a blank which is very similar to the blank of any full overlap corrugated container, or may actually be similar to a regular style container, depending upon the proportions of the structure desired. As indicated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, the container includes a top panel 10, a rear wall panel 11, a bottom panel 12, and front wall panel 13, which are hingedly connected along parallel fold lines 14, 15, and 16, respectively. In preferred form, a short flap 17 is hingedly connected to the top panel 14 along a fold line 19. Obviously, the description of the walls is for the purpose of reference only, the panel 10 normally forming the top panel when the material is being dispensed.

End wall closing flaps are hingedly secured to the various wall panels along a pair of parallel fold lines 20 and 21 which extend at right angles to the previously described fold lines. Closing flaps 22 are hingedly connected to the ends of the top panel 10. Short flaps 23 are hingedly connected to the rear wall panel 11. Closing flaps 24 are hingedly connected to the bottom panel 12. Closing flaps 25 are hingedly connected to opposite ends of the front wall panel 13. The main point of variation between the container A and conventional containers lies in the fact that the corners of the flaps 25 which form the upper and inner corners of the flaps 25 are cut off diagonally as indicated at 26, the cut-off portion 26 being at substantially forty-five degrees to the end 27 of the blank,

and obviously also forty-five degrees from the longitudinal edges 29 of the blank. The angle of the cut-off corners may be varied, and the purpose of the specific arrangement illustrated is to have the front wall of the container slope upwardly and forwardly at forty-five degrees when the container is in dispensing position. If a different slope of the front wall is desired, the angles may be correspondingly changed.

The diagonally angled corners 26 are provided with slots $0 which in the arrangement illustrated extend into the diagonal edges in a direction parallel to the fold lines 20 and'21 and accordingly parallel to the longitudinal edges 29 of the blank. The slots 30 extend into the flaps 25 a distance substantially equal to thewidth of the flap 17 for a purpose which will be late described.

In the formation of the container, the blank is normally folded along the fold line 14 so that thetop panel 16) and flaps 17 overlie the rear wall 11 and a portion of the bottom wall 12. The blank is then folded along the fold line 16 so that the panel 13 is in overlapping relation with the flap 17. Tape 31 is applied to the joint, this tape 31 connecting the front wall panel 13 to the top panel 10 asis best indicated in FIGURE 1 of the drawings.

When the container A is to be filled, the flaps may be folded in the usual manner. Theflaps 23 and 25 attached to the rear and front walls 11 and 13, respectively, are folded into a common plane. The flaps 24 may be folded upwardly to overlie the first folded flaps, and if desired,

the flap 24 may be adhered to the flap 23, but preferably not tothe flaps 25. The closure flaps 22 are next folded down to lie outwardly of the flaps 24 and are stitched or adhered thereto. Obviously, in usual practice, one end of the container is closed prior to the other, and the container is filled when the container is open at one end only.

When it is desired to open the container, the tape 31 is longitudinally split at the juncture between the top wall andthe front wall 13. The front wall 13 is'then grasped and pulled forwardly. Drawing the front panel 13 forwardly is impeded by the fact that the dimension indicated by the broken line 32 is somewhat greater than the height of the front wall. However, the panels will flex sufficiently to permit the front panel to be drawn outwardly until a portion of the diagonally cut corners 26 engage against the under surface of the top panel 10. At this point, the slots 30 have their open ends adjacent to the forward edge of the top panel 10. The flap 17 may then be folded rearwardly until the ends of the flap 17 engage in these slots. The engagement of the flap 17 in the slots 30 serves the purpose of assisting in limiting the outward pivotal movement of the front panel 13. It also serves the purpose of preventing the container contents from flowing over the forward edge of the front wall 13 when the container is in dispensing position. The slots 30 also serve the additional purpose preventing the flaps from hinging inwardly about their foldable connection with the front panel 13.

If it is preferred, one of the full size flaps at each end of the container such as the flaps 24, may be first folded, and the flaps 23 and 25 may then be folded between the closing flaps 22 and 2d at each end of the container. This arrangement is preferred if the end closure of the container are taped closed rather than stitched or adhered. Obviously, it is not practical to stitch or adhere the flaps 25 to the remaining closure flap. At least, if the flaps 23 are adhered in closed position, the adhesive must be such as to break readily to permit the pivoting of these flaps in the manner described.

In accordance with the patent statutes, we have de scribed the principles of construction and operation of our improvement in Corrugated Bin and Dispensing Container, and while we have endeavored to set forth the best em bodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim:

1. A dispensing container including,

rectangularly arranged top, bottom, front and rear wall panels,

a severable connecting means connecting the edges of the front and top walls,

closing flaps hinged to the said walls and folded into face contact to form end closures, the closing flap of the front wall being inwardly of at least one of the other closing flaps and substantially free of attachment thereto,

the upper edges of the flaps being notched adjoining their free ends to permit these flaps and said front wall to hinge forwardly into forwardly and upwardly inclined position when said severable connecting means is severed,

a' flange hingedly connected to the forward edge of said top panel and lying inwardly of said front panel when said walls are rectangularly related, and

said closing flaps hinged to said front wall having slots therein adjoining said notched edges adapted to accommodate the ends of said flange when said front wall is hinged forwardly. I

2. A dispensing container capable of being formed on conventional equipment and which may be filled and closed upon standard filling and closing equipment, the container including rectangularly arranged top, bottom, front and rear wall panels,

a severable flexible tape connecting the adjoining edges of the top and front walls to connect said Wall panels in tubular relation,

closing flaps hinged to opposite ends of said wall panels and folded in face contact to close the ends of the tubular container with the closing flaps of the front and rear wall panels in coplanar relation and being inwardly of at least one of the other closing flaps,

means securing the outermost of said closing flaps to certain underlying closing flaps to hold the container ends closed, the closing flaps of said front wall panel being substantially free of attachement with the other of said flaps,

said closing flaps of said front wall panel being cut away along cut lines angling diagonally from the top edges to the end edges thereof,

whereby when said tape is severed, said front wall panel may be swung forwardly until the edges of said front Wall panel closing flaps formed by said diagonal cut lines engage the under surface of said top wall panel.

3. A dispensing container capable of being formed on conventional equipment and which may be filled and closed upon standard filling and closing equipment, the container including rectangularly arranged top, bottom, front and rear wall panels,

a severable flexible tape connecting the adjoining edges of the top and front walls to connect said wall panels in tubular relation,

closing flaps hinged to the ends of said wall panels,

the closing flaps of said front and rear wall panels being folded into a common plane,

the closing flaps of the top and bottom panels being folded into face contact outwardly of the closing flaps of the front and rear Wall and being secured together,

the closing flaps on the front wall panel being substantially free of attachment to the remaining closing flaps,

said closing flaps of said front wall panel being cut away along cut lines angling diagonally from the top edges to the end edges thereof, 7

whereby when said tape is severed, said front wall panel may be swung forwardly until the edges of said front wall panel closing flaps formed by said diagonal cut lines engage the under surface of said top wall panel.

4. The structure or claim 2 and including a flap hinged to the forward edge of the top panel and folded to lie inwardly of said front wall panel and in face contact therewith, said last named flap being stubstantially free of attachment with said front wall panel.

References Cited the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A DISPENSING CONTAINER INCLUDING, RECTANGULARLY ARRANGED TOP, BOTTOM, FRONT AND REAR WALL PANELS, A SEVERABLE CONNECTING MEANS CONNECTING THE EDGES OF THE FRONT AND TOP WALLS, CLOSING FLAPS HINGED TO THE SAID WALLS AND FOLDED INTO FACE CONTACT TO FORM END CLOSURES, THE CLOSING FLAP OF THE FRONT WALL BEING INWARDLY OF AT LEAST ONE OF THE OTHER CLOSING FLAPS AND SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ATTACHMENT THERETO, THE UPPER EDGES OF THE FLAPS BEING NOTCHED ADJOINING THEIR FREE ENDS TO PERMIT THESE FLAPS AND SAID FRONT WALL TO HINGE FORWARDLY INTO FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY INCLINED POSITION WHEN SAID SEVERABLE CONNECTING MEANS IS SEVERED, A FLANGE HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO THE FORWARD EDGE OF SAID TOP PANEL AND LYING INWARDLY OF SAID FRONT PANEL WHEN SAID WALLS ARE RECTANGULARLY RELATED, AND SAID CLOSING FLAPS HINGED TO SAID FRONT WALL HAVING SLOTS THEREING ADJOINING SAID NOTCHED EDGES ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE THE ENDS OF SAID FLANGE WHEN SAID FRONT WALL IS HINGED FORWARDLY. 